Various oral suction apparatus are well known in the prior art, and are utilized to clear a patient's mouth of secretions and foreign objects to clear a path for breathing. Because an oral suction apparatus is utilized in the oral cavity, it is not a critical requirement that the device be maintained in a sterilized condition for repeated uses on the same patient.
Endotracheal suction catheters are also well known in the prior art. Endotracheal suction apparatus include a sterilized catheter which is extended into a patient's lungs to suction secretions and/or blood present in the lungs. Because the endotracheal catheter is placed within the lungs, it must remain sterilized for each use.
One of the problems found in emergency situations at a hospital or at an ambulance location is that it is often necessary to repeatedly utilize both an oral suction device and an endotracheal suction device. However, once the health care worker has contacted the oral suction device, or other items, the hands are not sterile, and a new endotracheal apparatus would be required to maintain a sterilized condition. In addition, in emergency situations, the health care worker wastes valuable time in searching for either one or the other of the suction devices, when attempting to provide sterile apparatus for working on a patient.